The Certificate in DWP/DH Prosecutions

This is a bespoke course we developed for caseworkers in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department of Health’s (DH) prosecution divisions. It was especially developed in consultation with senior DWP Prosecution staff.

The syllabus provided an introduction to Law and Practice, including the English Legal System, along with a good working knowledge of both criminal law and criminal procedure. The course also included procedures dealing specially with DWP/DH offences, such as under the Social Security Administration Act.

The main achievements of this course, expressed frequently by students, were that they gained in confidence from the course and it allowed them to understand why they needed to do specific tasks.

Sally Ann Downey, Head of Prosecutions at the DWP said at the Award Ceremony for the successful students: “What I had in my mind for this course has happened. The students are chuffed and there’s a real business benefit for the DWP.”

Course Structure

Each intake started with a face-to-face Induction Day, where students learned all about the course and developed key study skills. The course materials included a course manual, including a specially-written section on DWP and DH procedures, as well as a number of study assignments. The assignments were designed to help students work through and understand each topic. Four of the assignments tested knowledge by multiple choice by means of an on-line test. The remaining three assignments required students to submit written answers.

Students were also given a password to a course-specific Student Area, where they could pose academic queries to their designated on-line tutors, as well as gain access to the Legal Nexis legal database. Telephone support w also available during office hours from CILEx Law School’s Academic Team.

Course Duration

Tutor marking was available for a period of one year from the date of enrolment. The course was intended to be very flexible, to ensure that students made steady progress throughout the year. The client agreed to give each student two hours’ study leave a week, at a time to be agreed with their manager.

Course Assessment

CILEx Law School awarded a Certificate in DWP/DH Prosecutions to those students who passed all seven assignments, with at least 50% for the on-line assignments, and 40% for the written assignments. Students completed on-line assignments at work under the supervision of their line manager.

Application

This course is open to employees of the Department for Work and Pensions or the Department of Health only. If you work for a prosecutorial agency and would like to speak to us about a course for your file managers, please call Noel Inge, Managing Director, on 01234 844325 or Kathryn Kirby, Courses Manager, on 01234 844368.